Marlborough farmers are fed up with being ignored by the Government as days without rain continue to threaten their livelihoods — with an official drought yet to be declared.
Federated Farmers Marlborough's Evan White told 1News the organisation has written to Minister Todd McClay on two occasions asking for an official classification, which would allow struggling farmers to easily defer tax payments and access emergency funds they already have set aside.
"A number of us are saying and pushing that Marlborough is in drought, and that [it] needs to be have been declared before now," said White.
South Marlborough experienced it's driest June to December period in the 94 years of rainfall records, receiving 187.6mm across the second half of 2023.
"It's not gonna come to an end, maybe not until spring," White said.
"We may get rain soon, but it's gonna come too late to get any autumn growth".
He said it had reached the point where farmers were questioning whether the career was worthwhile and described the situation as feeling like "jail".
"We just need that drought classification for those people's mental health," said White.
In February, the Government released a statement detailing extra support for farmers and growers as dry conditions worsened across the top of the South Island.
"Funding of up to $20,000 will be made available to the Top of the South Rural Support Trust to plan for events and support farmers and growers where needed," McClay said.
He said the top of the South Island was "not in meteorological drought," but acknowledged that conditions across various regions were likely to worsen in coming months.
"I recognise how challenging it is for farmers at the moment, so I've asked officials and MPI to monitor the situation very closely," McClay told 1News on Wednesday.
"There's some things that need to happen, particularly from NIWA, before formally the support is legally able to be made available".
White wanted the Minister to make a trip to the region to understand the severity of the situation, a sentiment echoed by Marlborough winemaker Marcus Pickens.
"It seriously needs to be addressed and promptly, the Minister needs to come and see for themselves," he said.
Pickens said rural communities that relied on successful harvests felt the pressure when there wasn't regular rainfall, even if the vines were efficiently hiding the "incredibly dry soil".
"It means super vigilance and really careful use of the water resource," Pickens said.
Pickens said he was also concerned the winter could continue to be dry, which would contribute to a lower yield with berries that weren't as large or juicy.
"You harvest the fruit, you need to water the vines to replenish. You're always looking ahead and saying 'what's coming?'
"We need rain."
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